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Diane's Diary5/24 Saturday We left at 10 am to go up to Asa Wright Nature Center. Larry said he felt well enough to go so we did. I told him we could cancel if he still wasn't feeling better but he said he was OK so off we went. We got up there before 12 & managed to get a room in the main house. It had a king size bed in it! After sleeping in our small berth for so long this bed felt gigantic. We won't even have to play footsy tonight! The room was very convenient being in the main house but I actually preferred the cabin we had up the hill the last time we were here as it had more privacy & a beautiful deck to sit on. However, Larry felt the main house would be easier for him as we would not have to walk so far. It was nice but very noisy as we were in the main house. Oh, a BBC crew was filming that weekend so we may be in their documentary! We had lunch & then joined the 1:30pm afternoon hike & continued hiking around ourselves after the tour was over. If you don't stay overnight, you cannot walk around the grounds yourself so it really is a big advantage to stay overnight. At 4pm, we joined afternoon tea & pasties included in the room rate. The local rate, which we paid, is $100USD per night, which includes room, taxes, 3 meals, guides, afternoon tea & rum punch so it really is a very good price. The tourist rate is double the price but because we really are living here, we get the local rate. We went on the evening hike after dinner but unfortunately, we didn't get to see too much although it was enjoyable. 5/24 Sunday They had an oilbird tour this morning so we decided to go again even though we had seen it last year. The tour was much better this time as the grounds were not as muddy as last year so it was much easier walking on the trails. We also really enjoyed the tour much better this time because we had a fabulous view of the birds & they let us take pictures this time. Normally, the center charges $12USD per person to see the birds since this is a special tour but we pay the local rate of 12TT which is $2USD- a big difference! Also, we were among the first people to go into the caves so we walked back ourselves & didn't have to wait for the rest of the group, which was nice. We continued hiking around the grounds ourselves. We saw a snake on the path & I was scared it was a poisonous one but later when we looked at a book to identify it, it was not. We saw the Mot-Mot bird & Mannekins. We tried to find the hawk nest we saw last year but couldn't find it. One of the centers' guides was nice enough to come down with us with a telescope & locate it for us. It was hot but not as hot as our last visit so it made our visit more enjoyable. We joined the afternoon tea & pastries. After dinner this evening, we heard a talk about the history of Trinidad & the center. Unfortunately, it was not that good as the guide was new & very nervous about giving speeches. 5/27 Monday We were up early again this morning & out on the verandah at 6am to watch the birds. We were really glad we stayed over for 2 nights, as we were really able to enjoy the center much more. Last night the resort only had about 10 rooms booked (I think they only have about 30 rooms) so the center was much quieter & more peaceful. We really enjoy it here & the birding is just fantastic. Some of the best birding we have ever done! We were both sorry to leave but we had to get back before dark. Someday we hope to come back to this magical place again. We got back to the boat & there was a note on our boat- our friends on S/V Mima had come when we were gone & they didn't know where we were. We called them on the radio but got no answer so we asked to keep the rental car for a few more minutes & drove over to where their boat was in Coral Cove. It was a wonderful reunion & we had really missed them! We were so glad to see them! Anyway, we went back to the boat, as were both tired from the trip. Later, Steph called & invited us to Joe's Pizza with them & S/V Just Dessert who had just come back from Tobago. I really didn't want to go as I was tired & just wanted to relax. However, Dawn was leaving for the US in the morning & we may not get to see her again & Larry wanted to go so we lowered the dinghy & off we went. We all had a good time & it was nice seeing everyone again. When we first had come back to Trinidad in April, we had gone to Joe's Pizza by ourselves for dinner & commented we didn't know anyone in the restaurant & it was the first time we had ever eaten there by ourselves. So, it was nice to see some of our old friends & be back at Joe's again. We all said we did miss S/V Dazzler & Amadon Light though. 5/28 Tuesday Well, I put away all the clothes from the weekend, cleaned the bathroom, & put the laundry away I did last week & made a phone call to our attorney as scheduled at 2pm. Steph came over & we got to talk without the guys around. Larry went over to talk with Tom & play chess but Steph & I knew it was just an excuse so they could go drinking. I really missed her company so it was nice having her to talk with. I worked on another slipcover today but I am having problems with the sewing machine - the bobbin keeps jamming. I'll ask Tom about it tonight, as he is great with fixing sewing machines. I invited them over for a shrimp dinner tonight. I also made a Key Lime Pie in the afternoon, as I know they both like that. We all had a great time talking & catching up on everything. It is great having them around again. 5/29 Wednesday I was up at 7am but didn't get out of bed & was just reading until 8am when the net starts. I didn't get a chance to take a shower last night so I took one this morning. I didn't even get to use the pool yesterday & this is something I try to do every day. I went to the Price Smart today but we had to wait a long time for our food to show up. We go back to the boats in one van & then the food comes to each marina in another van. I spent the afternoon putting all the food away. I will try to buy some food every week so I don't have to do it all at once. Since we are leaving shortly, I am trying to buy all of our provisions here. It's definitely a lot easier to provision while the boat is at a slip- especially one with sideslips & not med moorings as it's much easier to carry everything onto the boat. I went to the gym at 5pm & walked my usual 50 minutes on the treadmill. 5/30 Thursday I cleaned out the starboard water tank using Clorox. We put about a cup of Clorox in the tank, let it sit overnight & flush it out several times before using it. It takes a long time to run the water through the tanks & refill it. We cannot see the interior of our water tanks so we try to do this at least once a year. I invited Mima & Just Dessert to come over for our weekly Crews Inn potluck. I brought my wonderful corn soufflé that everyone seems to like. We all had a good time & the potluck was crowded. A lot of cruisers are starting to go home for the summer & we haven't been getting any new cruisers so Trinidad is kind of empty. Actually, in a way that's better, as we are getting work done on the boat. If a lot of our friends were here we would be tempted to "lime" as the local expression goes. That means just hanging out. 5/31 Friday I oiled the head (bathroom for you landlubbers) galley & starboard settee area. At home, I only have to done this once a season, but out here, the sun is more intense so I have had to due it on a regular basis every few months. We went to an excellent swordfish dinner at Tropical Marine for $6 USD per person. It is excellent & we look forward to going every Friday. Just Dessert & Mima came also. Texas Reb came to Trinidad so we got to see them also. I had a migraine headache the whole day & took a nap. 6/1 Saturday I went to the market at 6:30 this morning to get some fresh vegetables & fish. I made bacon & eggs for breakfast when I got back around 9:30am. At 11 am, we left to go to the movies with Mima. We saw Spiderman for $2USD. Usually the movies are a doubleheader but Spiderman was playing by itself. At $2USD per person, we really couldn't complain about the price! We all enjoyed the movie & afterwards went to TGIF for a late lunch. I still had my migraine headache today. We got back in the late afternoon & spent a quiet evening at home watching TV since I still didn't feel good. 6/2 Sunday I still have my headache today & wasn't feeling well. I am almost out of my prescription drug Imitrex. I tried to get some here but it was extremely expensive - about $18USD for two pills at a higher dosage than I normally take. Usually prescription drugs are pretty cheap here so I don't know why this one is so expensive. We have always had a prescription plan in the US so I really don't really know how much it costs in the US. I will try getting some samples from my doctor when we go back to the US or I will try to buy it when we get to Venezuela where everyone has told us prescription drugs are cheap. I made some eggs & corn muffins this morning & cleaned the shrimp I bought yesterday. Every Sunday they play dominos here at Crews Inn so we went to play today. We are not very good players but it's fun to play. Actually, I would rather just stay at home & catch up on my logs, as Sunday seems to be the only day I get to sit down to do it. 6/3 Monday I made some Italian sausages in the morning since they take so long to cook. Then I made some phone calls. I also finished oiling the aft cabin & starboard settee. I also vacuumed all the wood shavings Larry got all over the boat when he was fixing the chain plates. We went to Joe's Pizza for dinner with Mima & Just Dessert. |